by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 15, 2025
Anna Marek, who topped the series of qualifiers for this weekend’s debut of the US Dressage Open, also was first with Fayvel in the Grand Prix at California’s Desert International Horse Park Friday night.
Now she’s looking forward to Saturday night’s ride to music.
“Fayvel’s freestyle is just so fun, and it always seems to get the crowd excited. I already, clearly, have a very excited Fayvel here for the crowd, so I think the music, as long as long as I can keep a lid on the energy, is going to be a great dance,” said Anna, who is from Donellon, Fla.
Fayvel, a 2010 KWPN gelding (Zizi Top x Houston) owned by Cynthia Davila, had to dampen Fayvel’s enthusiasm a bit in the Grand Prix.
“After the first extended trot, I was like, ‘Hey buddy, we need to get it together before this next movement,’ and after that, the rest of the test just flowed so well. What I loved about it was the energy I had, and he was so rideable at the same time, which is the goal.”
Anna noted the energy Fayvel brought into the arena for the Grand Prix fits perfectly into their energetic and modern choreography and musical selection, and the setting will only boost his performance.
“My first impression of the venue, when I checked out the show arena, which wasn’t even completely set up yet, I looked around and just thought it was just one of the most incredible and beautiful venues I’ve ever been to,” she said.
“Then when the ring was set up with all of the banners and the red, white, and blue flowers – it’s just so incredibly well done.”
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by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 7, 2025
Right after the FEI General Assembly voted to revise some restrictions included in the blood rule for show jumping, the reaction started rolling in.
The changes approved at the gathering in Hong Kong on Friday authorize issuance of warnings for the presence of blood on a horse in some instances, as opposed to just straight-out elimination. It was so controversial that it was voted on separately at the meeting from the discipline’s general rules revision, and received a “no” from some very powerful national federations. A petition to preserve the “no blood” rule was signed by 65,581 people.
The tally on the general rules at the meeting was 73 in favor, three against and three abstentions. But on the controversial changes, called Article 259, there was a much greater margin against: 56 countries voted yes, 20 voted no and two abstained.
FEI Secretary-General Sabrina Ibañez conceded, “We acknowledge that the approval was not unanimous and have taken note of the request from several national federations for a more harmonized approach to the topic across disciplines and we are committed to looking into this.
“We will take a structured, evidence‑based approach grounded in thorough consultation and driven by data. Our ongoing projects at the FEI will play a key role in supporting accurate data recording, and we will continue to advance safety and welfare through evidence‑based measures that are both rigorous and robust to further demonstrate our unwavering support to horse welfare.”
Yet Jim Eyre, chief executive of British Equestrian, said: “We support the FEI’s commitment to equine welfare, but based on the evidence and expert opinion, we could not support this rule. The vote was far from unanimous, and we welcome the FEI’s pledge to ongoing review and dialogue.
“If horses are to have a future in sport, we must demonstrate unwavering respect for their welfare. That means clear, ethical rules that put the horse first. We remain committed to working with the FEI and fellow federations to ensure fairness, clarity, and the highest standards of care in equestrian sport.”
British Showjumping Chief Executive Iain Graham said, “As leaders in equestrian sport, our duty is clear: protect our athletes, human and equine, and put horse welfare at the heart of every decision.
“While we recognize the riders’ concerns and welcome elements like enhanced veterinary checks and tougher penalties for repeat offenses, removing automatic elimination for visible blood is a step backwards. It risks eroding public trust and undermines the very progress these changes aim to achieve.
“We’re also disappointed that the FEI chose not to advance the use of padded batons over traditional whips in international jumping — a missed opportunity for meaningful reform.
“British Showjumping will not be changing our national rules in response (to the change on the blood provision). We remain committed to evidence-based decisions and stand firmly behind the British Equestrian Charter for the Horse, built on empathy, care, respect, consideration, ethics and learning.”
Explaining why the German Equestrian Federation (FN) was against the revision, its president, Dr. Martin Richenhagen, said “the welfare of the horse is at the heart of all action. This rule change does not fit with this principle.”
It is the horse welfare aspect that also prompted a post-vote statement of regret from the international think tank, Equestrian Action Group, which had called for standardized blood rules for all disciplines and a differentiation of the causes of any bleeding, with stronger penalties when the bleeding can be attributed to the action of the rider.
The EAG expressed concern “about the future of social acceptance of our activities (social license to operate) and regrets that a majority of the national federation delegates have clearly failed to take into account the interests of horses and equestrian sports.”
The International Jumping Riders Club had sought the changes. That organization explained it has never advocated for lesser sanctions for blood, and believes the new rule is actually stricter, with more serious consequences.
IJRC regrets that critics have read Article 259 in isolation, instead of in conjunction with the complementary rules that mandate disqualification for spur marks (even when blood is not visible) and for abuse of the horse that can be referred to the FEI Tribunal for more serious sanctions.
“From the outset, the IJRC sought a more proportionate response; a micro lesion on one horse resulted in the elimination of the entire Brazilian team from the Paris Olympic Games last year, which we believe was excessive, on the other hand an elimination after a round with faults has nearly no consequences.
“As a result of the new rule,” IJRC stated, “careless riding or blood (even if minimal) caused by tack or equipment repeatedly by the same athlete will be sanctioned more strongly than it was in the existing rules.”
- Before, blood cases were not followed up by a vet check; now a fitness to compete assessment is mandatory.
- Before, the decision whether to eliminate or not was subjective; now the sanction system is objective.
- Before, elimination only happened after the class and the horse could continue in the Event and the rider did not incur any suspension (except in serious cases of abuse of horse). Now for cases where the blood is rider induced/caused by tack or equipment there is a Jumping Recorded Warning, with a second one within 12 months resulting in an immediate one-month suspension and a 1,000 Swiss Franc fine.
Explaining the alterations to the jumping rule, the FEI notes the blood rule used prior to the revision lacked differentiation between horse abuse, accidental injuries and minor lesions, leading to inconsistencies in penalties.The rule does not apply to dressage, and it’s easy to understand why EAG called for standardized rules in all the equestrian disciplines.
Remember that the USA’s dressage team member Marcus Orlob was eliminated from the Grand Prix at the Paris Olympics partway through his test. A judge spotted a superficial scratch on the white hind leg of his mount, Jane, who had nicked herself when spooking from a horse that was exiting the arena in the wrong direction as she entered. When the leg was wiped off, the blood disappeared and did not reappear, but Orlob’s chance was over without having a veterinarian weigh in on the judge’s decision.
The FEI maintains that for jumping, the revised Equine Assessment Rule ensures a fair and proportionate penalty system while maintaining horse welfare as a top priority. It aligns the Jumping Rules with ethical sportsmanship and public perception while upholding the principles of equine welfare and fairness, the organization states.
Putting the blood issues in perspective, Todd Hinde, the FEI’s director of show jumping, noted there were 340,000 starts in FEI show jumping this year, with 101 blood-related eliminations, most of which were due to blood on the flanks (which may not be caused by spurs), representing 0.029 percent of all starts. Of these, only four athletes were eliminated twice during that period. He highlighted that this significantly reduced number of cases reflects the impact of the rules on spurs, which clarified what is permitted and what is not.
There include new mandatory fitness-to-compete checks by the Ground Jury, in consultation with the veterinary delegate, in all cases of blood as well as:
- Horses now are only permitted to continue competing if they have passed a fit-to-compete decision following the veterinary check for blood.
- Clearer rules for FEI officials, removing the “minor” categorization of some blood, which is a judgment call, and ensuring greater consistency and objectivity.
- Increased transparency and accountability for athletes, with all Jumping Recorded Warnings published by the FEI.
- Automatic notification to National Federations of all Jumping Recorded Warnings concerning their athletes, enabling them to better monitor cases and decide whether to impose additional welfare checks or measures.
The rules that are still in place and remain unchanged are:
- mandatory disqualification for excessive use of spurs.
- the Abuse of Horse provisions.
- the possibility of opening separate disciplinary proceedings to impose additional sanctions.
New FEI rules involving welfare aren’t just for those competing internationally. They will be coming soon to a show near you. National Federations have been requested to incorporate provisions on Abuse of Horses and Safeguarding Policy against Harassment and Abuse that are generally consistent with the FEI provisions into their own rules and regulations by January 1, 2027.
The Equine Assessment Rule aims to harmonize penalties with the principles of fairness and horse welfare by allowing veterinarians to assess severity: veterinary delegates will evaluate lesions before penalties are enforced to ensure proportionality.
A Three-Strike System means gradual consequences will be applied based on the frequency and severity of violations. Proportionality will offer a standard, so a small superficial mark does not get penalized as severely as a significant lesion or an abuse-related injury.
Violations will be tracked across an athlete’s career to ensure accountability.
Here is Article 259:
259.1. Any blood on the Horse caused by tack or equipment or any Athlete induced blood detected during a competition (from warm up until completion of any post-Competition controls/testing) will result in the following consequences for the Person Responsible, issued by the President of the Ground Jury:
First Offense: Jumping Recorded Warning
Second Offense: Jumping Recorded Warning
Should the same Person Responsible receive two or more Jumping Recorded Warnings at the same or any other event within 12 months of the delivery of the first Jumping Recorded Warning, the Person Responsible shall be issued a fine of CHF 1,000 (Swiss Francs/ $1,242 U.S.) and be automatically suspended for a period of one month.
259.2 In other cases of blood on the horse detected during a competition (for example where a horse appears to have bitten its tongue or lip or in cases where a horse is bleeding from the nose), the officials may authorize the rinsing or wiping of the blood and allow the Athlete/Horse Combination to continue the competition, provided the horse is deemed fit to compete in accordance with Article 259.3. The athlete will not receive a Jumping Recorded Warning if this article applies.
259.3. In all cases of blood on the horse under JRs Art 259, the horse may only be permitted to continue in a competition or participate in any subsequent competition(s) at the event if the ground jury, in consultation with the veterinary delegate, has deemed the horse to be fit to compete.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation this year passed a blood rule of its own, scheduled to go into effect Dec. 1. It states that blood caused by the rider/handler or equipment requires the horse to be eliminated from the relevant class. Presence of blood on horses will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by a licensed judge or ground jury.
USEF recognizes that horses may sometimes bite their tongue or lips in the normal course of work. If minor blood is spotted in a horse’s mouth, the new rule allows the licensed judge or ground jury to rinse or wipe the horse’s mouth and permits the horse to continue if there is no further evidence of blood. If bleeding continues, the horse will be eliminated.
If a horse is eliminated during a class that is a qualifier for a championship or another class, they may compete in the championship if the bleeding issue is resolved. If a horse is eliminated in the work-off, a championship, or in a jump-off due to blood, they will be eliminated from that phase of the class and placed based on the score they had at the start of the work-off or jump-off round.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 2, 2025
From his first round over the jumps to his last ride in front of the judges, JJ Torano dominated the finals of the ASPCA Maclay equitation championship at the National Horse Show in Kentucky on Sunday.
The 15-year-old ranked first after all 176 contenders had completed the initial round, stayed on top in the flat phase and was the best of 24 in the second round as well, ending up with a final score 93.46. He was the only rider whose final score broke into the 90s.
After a 7 a.m. start and nearly 11 hours of competition, the judges wisely saw no need for further testing when JJ completed a classic second-round performance on Favorite Edition Z, otherwise known as Eddie.
JJ Torano led all the way in the Maclay. (National Horse Show Photo)
JJ called the mount he has ridden for three years “a very proven horse. He’s been foot-perfect from the start. I can’t say enough about him. He can shine in those tests where they ask the big questions. I’m lucky to be sitting on him in a class like this.”
Jimmy Torano and Favorite Edition Z on their way to victory in the Maclay.
The routes set by Paul Jewell and Nancy Wallis, with input from judges Susie Schoellkopf, Jimmy Toon, Robin Swinderman Mitchell and Tony Sgarlata, tested accuracy and adjustability, but also allowed the riders who mastered the technical questions to demonstrate their style.
“My goal this year was really to make it a rider’s test, where they want to find the track and find the path,” Paul explained.
“If they find the path, keep the pace, they’re going to be fine.”
In her comments about the winner, judge Robin said, “He was extremely smooth throughout all the rounds, very solid in his flatwork.”
Judge Jimmy noted, “JJ is quite clever in keeping everything so even, and he’s so strong. He’s solid. There’s not much else you can say about him. He’s quite the man.”
JJ is the son of Jimmy and Danielle Torano, both show ring stars. He is coached by his father and the North Run team of Missy Clark, John Brennan and Maggie Gampfer.
JJ Torano with sponsor Cindi Perez, 2024 Maclay winner Taylor Cawley, Danielle and Jimmy Torano, Missy Clark, John Brennan and Maggie Gampfer.
The teen warmed up for his class by winning Saturday night’s 1.35 meter jumper competition with Good Mood Semilly, then taking third on Vitus K in the featured $100,000 1.45-meter grand prix behind big names Alessandra Volpi (Glamour) and Sloane Coles (Ninja JW van de Moerhoeve.)
So it’s no surprise what JJ, who won the Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal Finals last year, is looking forward to in the coming season.
“I have a couple of young horses, new horses I want to step up and keep going and build a relationship,” the Floridian said.
“So I’m excited for that. Maybe jump some bigger classes now that I’m old enough.”
JJ expressed gratitude for all the help he received.
“Obviously it’s been a great week. I rode a lot of different types of horses. I think almost every one of them was owned by a different person. So, first I’d like to thank the owners, my parents for all they do, and my trainers, Missy, John, and Maggie. It’s really a team behind me that can really make the success happen for me,”
It was the third time in a row that a child of a professional equestrians had taken the Maclay. Last year, I asked Jimmy Torano why the pro trainers’ kids are so good, and wondered if it was genetic.
He told me it’s because the youngsters are “around it every day, they’re living it, they’re breathing it.”
And they have the chance to ride so many different horses, Jimmy added.
The reserve champion, Parker Peacock, moved up from eleventh place to come close to the big prize.,Parker, a North Carolinian who rode Montverdi, is trained by Ken and Emily Smith. Her final score was 89.03.
Runner-up Parker Peacock. (National Horse Show Photo)
Third place went to the first person to venture out on course, Madison Ramsey, who also won the silver cup known as the Trailblazer Trophy for that achievement. The Florida resident, who is trained by Jen and Frank Madden and the Capital Hill team, as well as Bobby Braswell, rode Mac III after rising from sixth place. Her final score was 88.40.
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by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 1, 2025
Kristin Wasemiller-Knutson and Vashti, the combination that won the Open Grand Prix Freestyle at the U.S. Dressage Finals in 2021, did it again on Saturday night during the show at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio.
“I could not have been happier with my ride; I didn’t care what the score was,” said Kristin, who rode to a Bugs Bunny operetta she edited herself, as well as well as designing the complex floorplan. Her efforts earned a mark of 72.25 percent.
“I wanted to use that music, and it took me years to try to get it the way I wanted it,” revealed Kristin. who was the runner-up in the Grand Prix on Saturday.
Vashti, who is by the pinto Friesian Sporthorse Nic, also sire of Jim Koford’s famous ride Adiah HP, was bred by Sherry Koella. She was at Finals to witness the cherished 17-year-old mare’s victory. Sherry likes to breed for color, and when Vashti turned out to be a bay and then became an orphan, Kristin and her mother, Dede Wasemiller took her in.
Kristin Wasemiller-Knutson and Vashti. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“We have been second several times in this class, so it was our goal to come back and win it,” added Kristin, who trains mostly with her mother and is based four miles away from her farm in Oklahoma City.
Jennifer Roth, who had 11 rides at the show, was the reserve after making a last-minute decision to contest the class when another competitor scratched. She and Barbara Lightner’s 12-year-old Lusitano, Imperador DR, earned 71.258 percent.
“I wasn’t even supposed to be in this class,” she explained. “The horse is an absolute machine and Kathy Rizzoni made him such a fun, upbeat freestyle. I was up there just dancing and singing, and when I hit that last line of ones, I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve done 15, let’s see how many more I can fit in.’ He was right there for me. That’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had doing dressage.”
Roth partially attributed her great performance to help from long-time coach Sharon Ridge and warm-up help from Jim Koford, and partly to her brand new tailcoat bought on the day.
“It must be good luck; I’m never taking it off,” laughed Roth, who has been riding the Lusitano only since the spring of 2025. “I was given the ride to just play around, and here we are. Jim’s been convincing me that it’s okay to be fancy. I tend to go with the safe seven, and he’s helping me figure out that I can go for more. It’s pretty cool.”
Josefine Parada, who was jetting off on her honeymoon Sunday morning, filled third place with a 71.125 percent ride on her own 14-year-old Floriscount gelding, Floyd.
Heather Mason has a record to be envied at the U.S. Dressage Finals, enjoying victory after victory at the show.
That hasn’t changed with a switch in venues, from the Kentucky Horse Park. It’s not just that she’s winning in the saddle; her students also are winning. And she had 28 entries to ride or train at the show presented by Adequan.
Her four-year-old Rock It P on Saturday won the First Level Open Freestyle with 77.241 percent, with a boost from a plus-80 percent mark from the judge at C. Heather’s music was from the mystery movie Enola Holmes, put together by Kevin Whitney.
The 17.3 hand (and still growing) Rock It (Grand Galaxy Win X Everdale) made a comeback from his Friday Training Level test, where he was distracted by the camera person.
Heather Mason and Rock It P at home. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Today he put on his bravery and was fantastic. It’s a very difficult floor plan, with bold movements and combinations because he’s an honest horse, which is lucky, because being so big it would be a problem if he wasn’t. I bought him as a foal, and he was only supposed to make 16.2 hands,” said Heather, who is based in Lebanon, N.J.
Heather’s total wins at the show mounted to four by the end of Saturday’s action. She was the first to go in the Intermediate I Open Freestyle Championship on Manuskript SCF and her 73.325 percent mark on the eight-year-old Jazz gelding was good enough for the title. Then she rode Rock It P again to take the First Level Open Championship with 73.194 percent.
Next for Rock It is a rest and maybe some jumping over the winter until serious work resumes in the spring.
Heather Mason and Rock It P rock their winning freestyle. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“I have to let Rock It’s body catch up; everything comes so easy for him, and he’s not stressed about the work but he’s still physically immature. He’s definitely a super horse, and I look forward to many years with him,” Heather said.
A Lusitano stallion was named Grand Prix champion for rider Jorge Arauz Friday night, topping a field of 14. Jorge and the “sweetheart” of a horse, London Do Vouga, earned 65.036 percent. The stallion is an inexperienced 11-year-old that just started competing at the highest level during the summer. It was only his third show at Grand Prix.
“It has been an amazing journey with this horse,” said Jorge, who works for Dulce Borjas at her Los Encinos Equestrian Hacienda in Magnolia, Texas.
“He came to us from Brazil three or four years ago as a kind of average horse schooling Second Level for Dulce to ride,” said Jorge.
A a native of Nicaragua, Jorge now rides for the U.S. He soon realized that London Do Vouga had the quality and talent for the upper levels, and in a few short years, he learned all the Grand Prix work. The stallion’s owner also earned her U.S. Dressage Federation silver medal on the horse 18 months ago.
Grand Prix winner Jorge Arauz and London Do Vouga. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“Honestly, we were very happy and humble to be here,” explained Jorge.
“We are new in this, so we had no big expectations, but we tried our best and the test went really well, his best so far. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement, but from his breed, the piaffe/passage are strong exercises for him. He’s a sweetheart.”
Jorge has trained with Rafael Soto, as well as riders from the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.
“Hopefully, we will get him to some CDIs next season in Florida,” he added, “and we would like to get him qualified for the USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship at WEC Ocala in May.”
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by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 31, 2025
Two New Jersey riders, who often have been winners at the U.S. Dressage Finals, continued their success as the competition moved its full schedule to a new venue, the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio.
Since the competition there this week is in several indoor arenas, participants were able to avoid the cold and rain that are prevalent in November in Ohio and neighboring Kentucky, where the competition presented by Adequan was held previously.
Lauren Chumley of Pittstown and Leeloo Dallas won the Intermediate II Open Championship with 68.48 percent to top a class of 14 starters. The combination won the Prix St. Georges title at the 2023 Finals and the Intermediate I Freestyle last year, so there has been a measurable metric of their progression.
“This is Leeloo’s first year at I-2, and I’ve had some really good and some not-so-great rides,” said Lauren about her efforts with the nine-year-old mare (Gaspard De La Nuit DG X Negro).
“She’s never naughty, but she’s green at this. She’s only been doing this level for, like, 30 seconds. She was good in the test, but she was amazing in the warm-up, so that was a feeling of what’s to come. I can’t wait until I can have it all in the ring.”
Lauren has trained Leeloo Dallas up the levels herself since buying her sight-unseen as a foal from her breeder Racheal McKinney in Arizona. Initially, she couldn’t afford her, but when her price was reduced, she was able to cobble together the funds.
“When she arrived, I realized I’d never asked how big she was,” Lauren recalled.
“She’s a hair under 16.1 hands now, which is actually fine as I’m not that tall.”
Lauren is “endlessly grateful” to her coach, Michael Bragdell, who finished fourth in the same class.
Lauren Chumley and Leeloo Dallas. (Susan J. Stickle photo)
The venue earned high praise from Lauren.
“The decorations are incredible, and they’ve created a super atmosphere here. I’m just wondering what the pumpkin budget is as I think I’ve seen about 3,000 of them,” she laughed.
“I love that everything is indoors because it’s been pouring with rain. Plus, the footing is phenomenal.”
Since coming to prominence with Finals wins, Leeloo Dallas has attracted some hefty offers from potential purchasers.
“I’m not wealthy and this money would change my life, but I don’t care; she’s not for sale,” Lauren emphasized.
She called her test, “a perfect end to Leeloo’s first season at I-2. She put in a solid albeit green test and really tried her little potato heart out for me today and it was good enough for the neck ribbon. Thank you, my little Perfect Princess Potato Muffin, you make this life worth the extraordinary continued struggle.”
Lauren also won the Intermediate I freestyle on Belafonte with a score of 68.242 percent.
Heather Mason of Lebanon, N.J.,who has earned many titles at this year-end championship over the years, rode to another on the eight-year-old Manuskript SCF. She earned the Prix St. Georges Open honors with 70.392 percent.
Manuskript, who along with another horse was the youngest in the class, had the only score over 70 percent. Manuskript (Jazz X Krack C).
Heather also coached a multiple winner, Christina Morin-Graham. In the Intermediate II Adult Amateur Championship, Christina’s 66.961 percent performance on her 15-year-old Oldenburg mare, Mondlicht, was just what she needed for her first Finals win, with the reserve champion finishing nearly five percentage points less.
Christina, who has eight championship class rides, bought Mondlicht five years ago from Germany and was advised that she would not make a Grand Prix horse.
“They said she was too hot for the one-tempis and wouldn’t be able to do the piaffe/passage,” explained Christina, who topped the same class at the Region 8 Championships on her mare (Sarkozy X Ravallo).
“I was happy to have her as a Small Tour horse, but over the years, we’ve done a lot of growing together, and here we are doing Big Tour,” she pointed out proudly.
Christina Morin-Graham and Mondlicht. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
A week before leaving on the nine-hour journey to WEC from her home in Malvern, Pa., Mondlicht pulled a shoe and had a slightly swollen leg. Christina, who works full-time as a partner in a private equity firm, decided to give her a full week off, only schooling the day before the championship test.
“I got on yesterday, and she felt super,” noted Christina.
“She loves getting ridden; she loves work. I adore her, though she’s definitely an alpha mare and very opinionated. You have to get her on your side and then she really gives you her best.”
The very busy Christina had another win on Friday in the Intermediate I Adult Amateur class on Ici de la Vigne, with a score of 66.912 percent. In the Amateur Grand Prix that day, she also was tops with DSP Dauphin on 68.696 percent and was second with Mondicht (66.920).
In the Third Level Open Championship, Coloradan Taryn Anderson, was first to go in the Third Level Open Championship, and her 71.625 percent on seven-year-old Figardo proved unbeatable.
Figardo, owned by Taryn’s mother, Tammy, gave Taryn “a magical ride” to win with the day’s highest Finals score.
“He warmed up kind of tight in this big atmosphere, so I didn’t know what to expect. I went in the ring, and he was just so lovely,” said Taryn.
“Everything I asked him to do, he was right there, and his back was soft. He gives me a magical feeling, and it was a magical ride. I could think about each movement, and it felt like ‘Ta-da!’”
Figardo (Fürst Wilhelm X Fürst Piccolo) was found by Anderson’s friend Jenny Wetterau as a four-year-old, and she has produced him through the grades with help from her Colorado-based trainer Petra Warlimont and Florida-based trainers George Williams and Lars Petersen.
“He’s super special to me because he was only walk, trot, canter when I got him. I put all the movements on him, and he’s the first one that I feel I’ve brought along and been successful with it. I’ve had horses before, but we made mistakes, and I learned a lot. Now, I feel like I’m starting to understand how to make a grand prix horse,” she said.
Coupled with his athletic ability, Figardo’s unflappable nature has helped him flourish.
“We have our own farm, and I take him out in the field. I can hack him by himself and train him on the hills,” she continued.
“He’s a happy-go-lucky guy.”
She also praised the new venue.
“I love it,” she said. “I haven’t been to Finals for years, but I remember getting drenched in the rain. When I heard Finals was going to be at WEC, I really wanted to come. I’m very much impressed; the decorations and the shopping are awesome, and the footing is perfect.”
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by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 24, 2025
Barns, stables and related agricultural buildings have a distinctive tale to tell, wherever you can find them. They may be landmarks. Or perhaps they are hidden in plain sight; you just have to discover their charm.
A variety of these iconic structures will be on the Peapack & Gladstone, N.J., Historic Preservation Committee’s Barn Tour Nov. 15 (rain date is Nov. 16), highlighted by a visit to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s stable.
The interior of the USET Foundation stable.
At the end of the tour, historian Barry Thomson will offer a talk about the landmark building, erected by financier and horse breeder James Cox Brady at Hamilton Farm in 1917.
During its era as a team training center, the USET stable was a base for some of the country’s most famous Olympic horses and riders. The trophy room will be open to visitors so they can see horse show ribbons from around the world and photos of competitors, such as show jumping medalists Frank Chapot and William Steinkraus
The USET Foundation stable still is the venue for competitions, such as the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.
This is the first time since 2008 that the committee has offered an opportunity to visit these types of buildings in the Somerset County borough.
Admission is free. Those who want to take the self-guided tour must register at Liberty Park on Main Street, starting at 10:30 a.m., where they will receive a map and a route guide to the various stops. It will be available in print and a digital version.
The main part of the tour, which begins at 11 a.m., goes through 2 p.m. The opportunity to see the USET Foundation stable runs 2-4 p.m., with Barry’s talk taking place at 2:30 p.m.
Historian Barry Thomson will give a talk at the USET Foundation stable.
Margery Schiesswohl, the Historic Committee’s chairman, has worked for 30 years at Gill-St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone, where she is director of alumni relations. She takes special pride in knowing the history of the school and the property around it.
“That’s what got me interested into digging into the broader history of the town and connecting some of the dots,” Margery said.
“I like to know where we came from, so I can better understand where we’re going.”
She wants people to enjoy a new insight they can take from the tour.
“I hope that people walk away with a better understanding of the fundamental foundation of our community, which was farming and agriculture. It was a community of business and growth and people.”
Tour-goers will be “hearing stories about not just the structure, but imagining the people who lived here. It wasn’t a museum. It was a community,” she pointed out.
The Tiger family was one of the pillars of that community, where John Jacob Tiger bought a farm in 1862. His son, Ellis Tiger, was a co-founder of the Peapack-Gladstone Bank.
The five-level Tiger lower barn, which once housed dairy cows, will be on the tour. Its posts and beams are American chestnut, a now-extinct variety of tree. It was constructed before Tiger purchased it, as there is evidence that it was rebuilt and expanded around 1855. The cows are believed to have grazed in fields across the street that are now part of Natirar, a county park.
The barn is owned by Stephan Yelenik, the lead person on the barn tour subcommittee. He called the tour “a real juxtaposition between working farms and the Gilded Era” from a historic standpoint.
“The overriding message we want to send is you’re going to get to see some fancy stuff and some working stuff, and some fancy stuff that was working.”
Discussing his barn, he said, “Everybody drives past it every day, coming and going from Peapack & Gladstone. I don’t think there’s anybody who doesn’t know our barn and saw the renovations through the years,” said Stephan, who has owned the property for 21 years.
The old Tiger barn on Main Street in Peapack.
He rescued what had been a structurally unsound building and spent six years restoring it. Now it’s so sound that he believes, “it will be there for another couple hundred years.”
A second Tiger barn on the tour is on Mendham Road. At one time, it was a tack shop run by Doris Tiger Studer. Later, Tom Rossiter had his classic cars “stabled” there.
Another familiar name in the area is Melick. Andrew Mellick Jr. (who spelled his name with two L’s) wrote the classic account of local rural life in the 18th Century, published in 1889, “The Story of an Old Farm.” His farmhouse, now a private residence, is not on the tour.
The old grist mill.
However, the neighboring mill barn, alongside Peapack Brook, and its corn crib will be one of the stops.
